Welcome to the NT Mental Health Coalition

The Northern Territory Mental Health Coalition (NTMHC) is the peak body for community managed mental health organisations in the Northern Territory. The Coalition has a network of 200 individuals, organisations and stakeholders including a membership of 35 organisations. The Coalition is a member of both the Mental Health Australia (MHA) and Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA).

The aim of the Coalition is to be a strong voice for member organisations and a reference point for governments on all issues relating to the provision of mental health services in the Northern Territory, engaging regularly and consulting with the community mental health sector, members, and stakeholders. Each year the Coalition supports events for Mental Health Week, including the launch, administering the online calendar, and organising the community Mental Health Awards.

Latest News

The Northern Territory Government is reviewing the NT Mental Health Strategic Plan to better meet the social and emotional needs of Territorians and align priorities with the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.

Following community feedback, a draft strategic plan will be developed and provided to stakeholders for final comment mid-April 2019.

The NT Mental Health Strategic Plan 2019 – 2025 will be publicly released in May 2019.

There is still time to have your say by completing the online feedback form by 31 March 2019.

A national project reporting on transition rates for Partners in Recovery (PIR), Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) and Day to Day Living (D2DL) clients into the NDIS has released its first interim update.

A joint partnership between Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA) members and the University of Sydney, collated national data on transition rates of clients across the three programs to show rates of eligibility for the NDIS, the number of clients not applying for the NDIS and the reasons why individuals are deciding not to apply. Interim Report, Phase 1. December 2018.

On December 12 Minister Natasha Fyles and the NT Government released their first FASD Strategy in what is ‘the most comprehensive alcohol reform in the NT’s history.’ Prioritising the assessment of children in out of home care and in the juvenile justice system, improving the ability of family and communities to respond to neuro-developmental impairment, supporting the establishment of multidisciplinary assessment clinics, and working in partnership with the Primary Health Network, Aboriginal Medical Service and the Aboriginal Community controlled health sector are key strategies.

Inspiring stories of how two Indigenous communities dramatically reduced high levels of suicide among their people through community lead and owned solutions were shared at the second National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Conference in Perth.

The stories from these communities – the Tiwi Islands and the Queesland rural community of Yarrabah – are detailed in a report ‘Stories from Community’ by the Healing Foundation, available here

NTMHC and the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) have made a joint submission regarding the sustainability and quality of adequate mental health services in rural and remote communities throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory. Read the submission here

The Senate Inquiry released their findings on the 4 of December. One of the key recommendations stated the National Mental Health Commission should be funded and tasked with the development of a national rural mental health strategy. The strategy should be informed by PHN service mapping in rural and remote areas. To read the findings please click here

The Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) held a FASD forum in May 2018 for more information on the forum, click here

Minister Ken Wyatt and Greg Hunt announced the National FASD Strategic Action Plan for 2018 -2028 with more than $7 million allocated to the plan. NACCHO Aboriginal Health News compiled an article about the strategic plan which is available here

Mental Health Australia is managing an exciting project which aims to develop alternative ways to provide support for NDIS participants with psychosocial disability than those currently on offer at this stage of NDIS rollout. Over the coming months, Mental Health Australia will be working with consumers, carers and other experts through a Delphi process to refine a set of alternative typical support packages. To learn more click here.

At Mental Health Australia the vision is for mentally healthy people, and mentally healthy communities. A new report, released 1 May, Investing to Save, presents a major contribution towards that vision. It shows how we can, with the right targeted investments, improve the mental health of our community, and in turn the mental wealth of the nation. Read the report here

This report is independently produced by AbleInsight and is the first public report from the newly established Disability Service Providers’ Benchmarking Function, which is enabled by the administration of an annual Benchmarking Survey (‘Survey’). To view the report click here

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health (NATSILMH) launched two important documents for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention, to mark National Close the Gap Day 2018.

The National Indigenous Critical Response Service (NICRS) has been funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy, to provide a critical response to support individuals, families and communities affected by suicide-related or other trauma that is culturally responsive to their needs and to strengthen community capacity and resilience in communities where there have been high levels of suicide to better recognise and respond to critical incidents and strengthen service system coordination. To learn more about the NICRS click here or call our head office on (03) 8578 1410.

A new strategy for inclusion and action.
LGBTI Australians are more likely to attempt suicide and to harm themselves than the general population. They are also more likely to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. Transgender people aged 18 and over are nearly 11 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population, and intersex people aged 16 and over are nearly six times more likely. Young LGBTI people – those aged between 16 and 17 – are five times more likely. Now, the peak body for LGBTI health in Australia, the National LGBTI Health Alliance, has created a National LGBTI Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Strategy – the first of its kind in Australia, and a global rarity too.
Click here

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Highlights

2017-18 NT Mental Health Coalition Annual Report

Release of the Final Report of the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Service Review 2017

The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Service Review 2017 has now been completed. A forum for all interested stakeholders was held on 22 January 2018 in Darwin. This was an opportunity to discuss the findings and recommendations of the review. A further forum was held in Alice Springs on 15 March 2018. To view the final report click here.

In conjunction with the report the NT Mental Health Coalition contributed to an article on Croakey (independent, in-depth social journalism for health) 19 January 2018 about the mental health and suicide prevention service review undertaken for the Northern Territory Primary Health Network (NTPHN). Click here to view the article.

CMHA Submission to the NDIS Costs Issues Paper

The CMHA submission can be accessed on the Productivity Commission website: Click here

Useful Links

For a link to the accredited Mental Health First Aid instructors in the Northern Territory click here.

For a link to accredited Mental Health First Aid instructors Nationwide click here.

Free Online Peer Support Forums

The sane forums are a safe, anonymous online community for people living with mental illness and their families, friends and carers.

SANE Australia is inviting NTMHC members to join this free program, simply by integrating the service into their websites. These partnerships with community mental health organisations are vital for promoting the forums into metropolitan, regional, and rural communities around Australia.

Sane Australia Representation Survey

In 2018 SANE Australia conducted a survey asking Australians how they wanted mental illness to be represented in images. With over 5,000 participants, the majority of those having a lived experience of mental illness, the survey results gave a clear indication of the types of images that contribute to stigma and which images portray a fair and accurate representation of living with a mental illness. For the survey report please click here.